Danger in specialization

Adam Herbert says he has big plans for IU. \nThis doesn't limit itself to Bloomington. Herbert is attempting to prove himself with a plan to "specialize" IU's regional campuses -- "mission differentiation," he calls it.\nHis reasoning makes sense: there's no practical way that the smaller IU outliers can compete with IU to be a "research facility" or to focus efforts in doctoral programs dominated by full-time students when a large portion of the regional campuses student body is part-time. For example, at IU-Kokomo, the number of full-time students (1,411) is roughly the same as the number of part-time students (1,526). Compare that with Bloomington's numbers of 28,473 full-time students and 1,295 part-time.\n "It's essential that we celebrate the differences and do what we can to assist each campus to develop a broader context of the values and traditions of IU," Herbert told the IDS Monday.\n It's a great political answer. Such an idea with potential can get you far as an administrator.\nBut making it happen requires more.\nPerhaps the biggest question that needs to be addressed is the degree of speciality for each school. Aside from the usual questions of process (how, why, with what money, in what directions), this "degree of speciality" concern touches upon a much more important issue ... Students\nWe don't want the regional campuses to be "jacks of all trades, masters of none." Still, shouldn't we take into consideration not what the regional campuses could be, but what they have become over time?\nThere is a strong contingent of students who attend regional campuses for monetary or family reasons, and are unable to immediately make the transition from home to Bloomington. For many, taking a year or two of prerequisite courses at the less-costly regional campuses is necessary in order to pursue the rest of their studies here at IUB. \n"Specialization" runs the risk of making that service unavailable. As the exact plans have yet to be announced, we cannot criticize Herbert for proposing differentiation. Still, it's hard to envision new programs being implemented without old ones getting tossed aside. \nAfter all, this plan of specialization is intended to draw more money from the Indiana Legislature. Herbert said the state's legislators are more likely to provide additional resources when they can see a strong return in their initial investments. And when money's involved, we must remember we can't have it all. Cuts are inevitable. But hopefully, while in the stages of construction, the planning committee might take into account this aspect of the regional campuses and help to bolster this purpose.\nA state school should exist primarily to educate the citizens of the state. Although we take pride in winning awards and having high rankings, neither of those concerns should take precedence over IU's ability to provide higher education for all Hoosiers. So while the small-town student aspires to make it into the big college experience that is Bloomington, we must keep in mind our obligation to make that possible.